GIRARD, KS.---- About 2 inches of rain blanketed wheat crops in southeast Kansas today.
"Our area gets by far the most rain in the state," states Josh Coltrain, Crawford County, Agriculture Agent.
Allowing the ones in southeast Kansas to remain healthy. The rest of Kansas isn't so lucky.
"The farther west you go, the worse the drought conditions are," says Coltrain.
39% of Kansas crops planted in the fall are already deteriorating from this year's extreme drought.
"That's huge. Kansas is the number one wheat producing state in the country," say Coltrain.
Yearly production is valued at $1 billion. That can significantly drop if the drought continues. However, local agricultural experts are optimistic.
"If the rest of the state get the same amount of rain we're getting, that can improve, that can definitely change," says Coltrain.
Josh Coltrain with the Crawford County Extension Office says the plant has a quality that could help the struggling crops turn good yields.
"Wheat is a pretty adaptable crop. It's able to take the conditions as they go. That's why you can grow wheat in Kansas. It has to be adaptable," says Coltrain.
In southeast Kansas, the drought isn't impacting wheat crops negatively.
"Southeast Kansas is usually too moist. Last year was a great year for wheat and it was a dry year. Most years, we usually get too much rain," says Coltrain.
Agriculture experts say wheat crops in the western Whichita area are the most drought stricken. Only 20% of Kansas wheat is in good condition right now.
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